BERKELEY, Calif. -- Senior John Acha finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI but Cal ended its six-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Sacramento State baseball team, Wednesday afternoon at Evans Diamond. The game was rescheduled from an earlier contest (Feb. 17) which was postponed due to rain. Sacramento State fell to 10-9 overall while the Golden Bears improved to 8-10. The Hornets are now 1-2 against the Pac-10.
Cal took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning after an RBI double by David Weiner. With one out, Allen Craig drew a walk and then stole second. After advancing to third on a fly out to right, Weiner drove in Craig from third with a double over the head of junior Craig Johnson in right.
Sacramento State evened the score in the top of the fourth when senior John Acha hit an RBI single to center field. Junior Ronnie Machado, Jr., reached second after a fielding error at third base by Brian Horwitz. With one out, Acha laced a single to center to score Machado, Jr., from second.
The Bears regained the lead, 2-1, in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI double to right field by Brennan Boesch. Garrett Bussiere led off the inning with a double down the left-field line before Boesch followed with a double down the right-field line. After freshman Justin Demé hit consecutive batters to load the bases with one out, freshman Billy Sinacori entered the contest. Sinacori avoided trouble by striking out Justin Nelson before junior Kyle Aure picked off Boesch at third base.
The Hornets took the lead, 3-2, in the top of sixth after a run scoring error and an RBI double by Acha. Senior Jack Arroyo led off the inning by reaching safely on a fielding error by second baseman David Richardson. After advancing to second on a failed pick-off throwing error by Jeff Dragicevich, Arroyo scored from second on a two-base fielding error by Richardson with one out. In the next at-bat, Acha drove in Johnson from first with a double into the right-center gap.
Cal recaptured the lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the sixth after a run scoring error and an RBI single by Dragicevich. With one out, Boesch scored from first on a single to center by Richardson after junior Bret LeVier''s throw to third hit Boesch and bounced into the Hornets'' dugout. With Richardson on third after the play, Dragicevich drove in the second run of the inning with a single to right field.
Matt Brown (2-1) earned the win after allowing two runs (none earned) on one hit while walking one in 2.0 innings of relief. Jess Ingram earned his third save of the year after allowing only one hit while walking one and striking out four in 2.0 innings of scoreless relief.
Freshman Billy Sinacori (0-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out two in 2.0 innings.
LeVier also recorded two hits in the contest to contribute to the Hornet offense.
Horwtiz led the Bears with two hits in the game.
Sacramento State will next travel to Tucson, Ariz., for a three-game series against No. 16 Arizona beginning on Friday, Mar. 5, at 7 p.m. The second game will be on Saturday, Mar. 6, at 6 p.m. before the series finale on Sunday, Mar. 7, at 1 p.m
